09 Oct 2016

Two councillors have defected from the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) to join the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).

The two councillors are from Gathwane - Mogojogojo in the Mmathethe Molapowabojang Constituency, Mr Beach Mooketsane and Mmankgodi North, Mr Duke Mafoko.

When welcoming them during a press briefing in Gaborone, Thursday (October 6), the Vice President also the BDP chairperson, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi said BDP was continuing recruitment drive and that the party remained the only alternative political home for Batswana.

He said Batswana could attest to how the BDP visionary leadership and its programmes had uplifted their lives.

“It is our own track record that speaks for itself,” he said.

Mr Masisi said he was hopeful that BDP would whitewash all the constituencies, as they marched on to the road to victory come 2019.

When introducing councillor from his ward, MP for Mmathethe-Molapowabojang, Dr Alfred Madigele said Councillor Mooketsane was a multi-talented fellow, hard worker, energetic and that he was very instrumental in the Good Hope - Mabule Constituency win currently under the UDC ticket.

“Mr Mooketsane is not a newcomer in the BDP, he has actually returned to his original home,” he said.

He said Mr Mooketsane would add value to BDP because he garnered 1 857 votes in the 2014 elections under the UDC ticket, of which some will obviously join him at the BDP.

MP for Thamaga-Kumakwane, Mr Tshenolo Mabeo who introduced Councillor Mafoko said BDP should expect a lot from Mr Mafoko’s visionary leadership.

Councillor Mafoko said the just ended BOT50 golden jubilee celebrations were an encouragement for him to join BDP because most of his party members from UDC were against the celebrations, something he said did not make sense to him, considering what the current government leadership had taken the country thus far.

Councillor Mafoko further shared that he was in his second term as Mmankgodi North councillor since 2009 elections.

He also said his electorates had always begged him to join the BDP for their area to get more developments from government.

For his part, Councillor Mooketsane said he made up his mind to re-join the BDP, because it remained the only party with sensible policies that had graduated most Batswana from abject poverty.

He said he had always sold the BDP policies even at the time he was under UDC. He further said he could no longer speak against the BDP policies because most Batswana gave testimonies of how they had impacted them positively.

“I am here to stay, expect a lot from me,” he said. ENDS